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[0:01] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's The Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon.

[0:09] Robert Bannon: Here we go.

[0:11] Robert Bannon: Well, welcome to The Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon and you're listening to us on Broadway World, the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart, Spotify, wherever artists are here talking about art.

[0:19] Robert Bannon: And I love a leading man who knows something about Christmas and holiday movies. It gives me joy. Our next guest has been on all the channels that you love and watch, and I know people go crazy over all of the things. Plus, he has an incredible career.

[0:33] Robert Bannon: And if you've seen him and know what he's been in, he's got an incredible new movie coming out this holiday season that will be sure to be a hallmark staple. But on that other, tell us where it's going to be, Christopher.

[0:46] Christopher Russell: Hey, I'm Christopher Russell and I'm here to promote The Christmas Prayer Tradition, which will be it'll start streaming on October 22nd on Great American Pure Flix.

[1:01] Christopher Russell: And then it will be airing on a linear Great American Family cable channel and then also GFAM Plus on October 24th.

[1:12] Robert Bannon: See, you know now where you can get your incredible Christmas movies. And I'm so excited. It's the sequel and you play Wes Thornton. So tell us a little bit about this. What if I've never seen the first one? Why should I check it out?

[1:28] Christopher Russell: OK, so a lot of holiday movies, Christmas movies come out during this season. Obviously, people love them. What makes this one stand apart from the rest of the crowd is that while the other ones generally they're fun, they're gimmicky, they're laugh-out-loud moments, there's romance, they're charming. They're generally set in sort of a heightened reality. It's not quite exactly what life looks like, but it's fun to watch.

[2:16] Christopher Russell: Christmas Prayer and Christmas Prayer Tradition are very grounded. They're very real. They're rooted in what Christmas originally was about, which is giving, which is community, which is faith and family.

[2:39] Christopher Russell: And we have everything in Christmas Prayer and Christmas Prayer Tradition. Christmas Prayer Tradition picks up a year later from the predecessor. And my character Wes in the original was hesitant to rekindle his relationship with God because he had lost his wife. He was going through grief and his faith had been rocked, for lack of a better word.

[3:12] Christopher Russell: And his daughter, on the other hand, was very much a believer, very, very faith forward and was writing a prayer list to Jesus for Christmas for other people. And the premise of the first one is that Wes has a problem with that because he's worried his daughter is going to be disappointed when she finds out Jesus isn't coming to save you.

[3:34] Christopher Russell: He's not coming to answer these prayers. It's not going to happen. But the prayers are answered by Natalie. And at first, Wes is upset about that because he thinks, why would you do that? Now you're going to make her think Jesus is doing this, not realizing Jesus works through people. And that's the message, right?

[3:56] Christopher Russell: So when we pick up in a Christmas Prayer Tradition, Wes is still finding his footing in the church. He's making an effort, but he's not fully on board yet. He hasn't been sold completely yet. So it's great to watch his journey and the people along the way that help guide him through their actions and their belief to get a little bit closer to connecting to God.

[4:23] Robert Bannon: I think that's so beautiful. And what a time in the world where we're all looking for some peace and some joy and we're all looking for less chaos and more love. This is the perfect movie for you to watch with your kids, your grandma, everybody in the family can check this out. Tell me a little bit about your cast. You've worked with Shea in the past. What's it like to get together again and to do a part two and work with some of the same people?

[4:50] Christopher Russell: It was wonderful. So the movie takes place a year later. We filmed it a year later, but we had all the same cast and crew return. Same director, Nicholas Humphries. Yeah, same camera operators, same hair, makeup, same everything.

[5:10] Christopher Russell: And I feel that this movie, because we have come to really get to know each other, feel more comfortable with each other, more, you know, just relaxed and trusting of each other's instincts when it comes to filmmaking.

[5:33] Christopher Russell: I feel like this one definitely will feel more settled in than the first one. I think it translates and it feels more natural, I think, more natural chemistry, including the supporting cast, because everybody came back. Every actor from the first one came back and their storylines were heightened as well. They were made a little more impactful than the first round.

[5:50] Christopher Russell: So everybody just feels a little more settled into their character and the whole thing just feels more authentic. You know, you have a very interesting career because if you look back at your work, you know, you have been on Star Trek and you have been in horror films like Land of the Dead and you have done, you know, Day of the Dead and something like Reacher.

[6:23] Robert Bannon: And then you do a whole bunch of holiday movies like The Secret Gift of Christmas, Santa Tell Me and Operation Nutcracker and A Christmas Prayer, like a Costa Rican wedding. You were on all the channels last year with Christmas movies. And how do you decipher, how do you sum up your career? Some of it is more faith-based and religious and holiday oriented. Some of it is pure sci-fi or horror. You just, what is it that moves you to a project?

[6:49] Christopher Russell: OK, well, if we're being honest at the beginning, it's like whoever would hire me. But as I built a career, it's just like the challenge, a way for me to grow as an actor and as a person. Yeah, a way to push myself. But also the stories, right?

[7:13] Christopher Russell: And then, I mean, like I was saying, there are some movies that are just fun to make and they're fun to watch. They'll go through the cycle of the season and that'll be that, right? But then there's other movies like A Christmas Prayer Tradition where, like, I've never got to play a character in this circumstance from a grounded perspective where it's not just sort of like, this is why he's single and with a kid moving on. Like, it's a big part of the story.

[7:43] Christopher Russell: And then to be able to go on that, to follow that arc as an actor with A Christmas Prayer Tradition was just a real joy. It was also like, it was a challenge and I did have to push myself because you want to do it justice and you want to be able to connect with the audience.

[8:03] Christopher Russell: But then if you're talking about something like Day of the Dead, I mean, it's just, it was a lot of fun. My character on that show, Trey, was the comic relief for a lot of it. So I got to play the humor more than I do on other projects. Also, you know, there's zombies and things. So it was just really a lot of fun and I enjoy watching movies like that as well.

[8:30] Christopher Russell: And I think also, like, there's something for everyone and you don't have to, for myself anyway, I don't have to put myself in one lane. You know, I'm happy to venture into all of the lanes and just to see where it takes me.

[8:46] Christopher Russell: Also back to Star Trek too, I grew up a huge Trekkie. So when I got that job, I couldn't believe it. When I walked on to the deck of the Starship Discovery in my spandex onesie, you know, the little kid in me was like, just awestruck.

[9:08] Christopher Russell: And then because all the characters that played the aliens had their prosthetics done by the time they got to set, I never actually met them as people. And so it was very surreal. It was really fun.

[9:22] Robert Bannon: I love this and I love this career. I love the various different things that you do. We're talking everybody and everyone. Go right now, A Christmas Prayer, Great American Pure Flix, Great American Family. I'm sure it's going to be replayed throughout the holiday.

[9:36] Robert Bannon: It's never too early for a Christmas movie. Christmas movies in October, November, December, January, all 12 months. It's about love and joy and family. And we listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies.

[9:47] Christopher Russell: Well, there's something about that makes you feel safe and secure and home. And it's just a beautiful time of year.

[9:53] Robert Bannon: Yeah, for sure.

[9:55] Robert Bannon: So speaking of this channel and the work that you do, the rumor, rumor mill says now you're Canadian and you have played a Mountie on the television for quite a minute now in a show called When Hope Calls. And the rumor is that there's going to be a fourth season and it may be jumping over to the Great American Family family. Is that true?

[10:18] Christopher Russell: Yeah, we're so we're we're in the fourth season of When Hope Calls. You can get seasons one, two and three on Great American Pure Flix right now.

[10:32] Christopher Russell: And we will be airing sometime in 2027 on Great American Family and Great American Pure Flix. And yes, I play a Mountie and it is a dream role.

[10:47] Christopher Russell: I grew up watching shows like Road to Avonlea and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman and Little House on the Prairie. And I watched them with my my mom and my sister. And it was like, you know, a way to spend time together and watch a show we all enjoyed.

[10:58] Christopher Russell: And I feel like When Hope Calls is definitely similar in the sense that the whole family can watch it. There's something for everyone. It feels like it's it feels good. It's heartwarming. It's endearing. And there's so many different storylines for everyone to connect to.

[11:25] Christopher Russell: And for myself, I feel like I lucked out because not only does my character get to participate in everything that's going on in the town, but he also gets to go on his Mountie missions to, you know, catch the bad guy.

[11:38] Christopher Russell: So it's a it's a dream come true for sure.

[11:42] Robert Bannon: You've got it covered. You've got us covered into 2027. Look, it is a year. It's a year of Christopher Russell. He's out here. He's ready to work. He's got projects lined up.

[11:54] Robert Bannon: So when people are gathering around Thanksgiving, Christmastime, Halloween, anytime this weekend, you know, coming up and they're looking for something, who should check out this brand new edition? Who should watch a double feature of A Christmas Prayer and then turn on A Christmas Prayer Tradition? Why? Who should watch it? What should we be doing?

[12:14] Christopher Russell: I feel like if you love Christmas, you'll like it. If you like family movies, you'll you'll like it. If you want to see something that's grounded and real and speaks to, you know, the true meaning of Christmas, you'll like it.

[12:35] Christopher Russell: I think it's I will say that the first one, Christmas Prayer, the reception, I was I was surprised. I knew it was I knew it was a good little movie. I didn't realize quite the impact it was going to have.

[12:49] Christopher Russell: A lot of people were messaging and speaking up and posting on all of the Great American Family page about how they were so happy to finally see a movie that spoke to their community. Right. So I think it's a very it's a very good film in that sense.

[13:11] Christopher Russell: I'm excited. The holidays are here, everybody. So gather around, get the family, get a bucket of popcorn and let's celebrate the holidays together. There's nothing like cooking, cleaning, wrapping gifts and watching a holiday movie at home with the people you love.

[13:26] Robert Bannon: Christopher, thank you so much for hanging out with us. Congratulations. We can't wait for what's next. So much more coming. Doesn't he have good. Oh, this whole interview, I was like, why doesn't my hair sit like his hair? Man, that's some good Canadian hair right there. What happened to mine?

[13:42] Christopher Russell: So grateful to talk to you. Thank you so much for hanging out with me. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

[13:48] Christopher Russell: Yeah, thanks for having me. Merry Christmas.